Happy Birthday BadA$$ Brooke...

For one heck of a BadA$$ for her birthday!  If you have the pleasure of knowing Brooke, then you know that this girl does it all and puts it all out there.  She's a wife, a mom to two beautiful girls, a triathlete, a ride leader, and the list goes on.  She juggles a busy schedule with her family and still manages to train hard, do all the things and is a complete and total BadA$$ at it.  I wanted to make her a card to represent her badA$$ery and got her a t-shirt to match! 

I found a digital image on etsy that I purchased, and had my hubs print out 'case I'm so not tech savvy!  I colored it with copics.  I found a piece of EP paper that I used and had her age visible on the side.  The sentiment from My Favorite Things Sassy Pants Birthday Greetings #3 was just perfect for her card!!!

"BadA$$ Brooke" 

She said this was her knew favorite shirt, ha!

Thank you for stopping by!

Happy 75th Birthday Erin!!!

For my dear friend Erin for her 75th birthday.

I worked and worked on this card, didn't exactly go from my vision to paper.  I used My favorite Things die-manics, copics and copic opaque white gel ink for the background.  Mounted my panel on Real Red card stock.

Thank you for stopping by!

 

Thank You for the Teaspoon Brunch Ride...

I have such a great group of ladies that I co-lead a weekly women's ride with for GABA (Greater Arizona Bicycle Association).  These wonderful gals had a birthday ride and brunch to celebrate my birthday.  We ate at a place called Teaspoons after the ride and it was delicious!  I made thank you cards for them and decided to have all my birthday thank you cards with the same layout and color scheme.  Since I was thanking these gals for the same day of events, I also decided to do one blog post for them...I hope they don't mind!   

First one up is a thank you for Brooke.  As most of you know, orange is my favorite color.  Brooke got me this awesome Starbucks stainless steel tumbler in...you guessed it!!!  ORANGE!!!  So I tried to make her a card that complimented the gift.  The image is Perk Me up Peeps from Stamping Bella.  Brooke was also the one who organized the ride and brought lemon cupcakes, they were amazing!!!  Thank you so much Brooke!

This one is for Linden.  I'm not a coffee drinker, but I absolutely love Vanilla Chai Lattes, yum!  Linden got me a tin of just that!  Along with the most beautiful shade of orange coffee mug, teaspoon and this super cool battery operated frother.  Thank you Linden!!!  The image is Earl Grey Peeps and it is also from Stamping Bella.

This one is for Debby.  She got me the most amazing chocolate cupcake ever!  I brought it home and didn't share with my hubs, haha!  Thank you for thinking of me!  This image is also from Stamping Bella.  It's called Turtle Tot Birthday Wishes.

GABA Ride Leaders- Linden, Me, Brooke, Carolyn

Eileen, Carolyn, Brooke, Debby, Linden, and me.  Thank you ladies for all the cards, gifts, brunch, and a wonderful ride!!!  The best way to spend my birthday is playing bikes and spending time with ya'll!!!

Hong Kong Bubble Waffle...AMAZING!

Brooke's Lemon Cupcakes were to die for!

Thank you for taking a peek at my blog!

 

Happy Birthday Linden!!!

Linden is the most positive, uplifting, sweet, kind, encouraging, motivating, inspiring, caring, giving, thoughtful and supportive person I have ever meet.  She is one of those people who's company you just enjoy and always feel like you're in a better mood after seeing her.  Linden has been such a positive light in my life this last year and a half and I'm so grateful and blessed to call her my friend.

I had such a great time creating this card.  Linden use to live in Hawaii so I wanted to try and create a Hawaiian Beach.  Not sure if I succeeded that, but I absolutely love how this card turned out.  I started off with Neenah cardstock and masked where I wanted the ocean to end and the clouds to begin.  I used the Cloud Stencil and Tempting Turqouise to sponge in some clouds.  Next I used the Beach Scene Builder Die-namics for my ocean and sand layers.  For the ocean I used Copics in Blue and Blue Green hues, then added some subtle highlights with a gel pen.  For the sand I die cut it in Crumb Cake, then used markers and Copics to create pebbles and folds in the sand.  I wasn't happy with the look so I added some chocolate stickles.  I still wasn't happy with the look so I added Bronze Pearl Pen to it.  It was the first time I've used it and I must admit, I've had it for 10 years...so it was clumpy but it gave the sand the textured look I was wanting.  Next I die cut the Palm Tree and Island, adding highlights here and there.  I then stamped my Pure Innocence Hula Girl in Memento Ink on Neenah with Copics and fussy cut her, then added her to my scene.  I layered the panel on a white card base.  Sentiment is also from the Hula Girl set.

Me and Linden 2021

We're Ride Leaders for GABA Tucson Women's Group Ride.

Thank you for having a look!

Enjoy your evening.

 

Happy 75th Birthday Erin!!!

My friend Joanie put in a card request for our friend Erin a year ago, giving me plenty of time to create something special for Erin's 75th Birthday.  Joanie wanted a bicycle (and wanted me to replicate the paint job on Erin's bike) and 75 in the wheels.  Here's my finished product.

I started out with a die cut bicycle on neenah card stock.  I played with all the mediums I had to try and create the beautiful paint job on Erin's bike.  Her bike changes from purple to a soft teal blue color depending on how the sun hits it.  I ended up using copics for the base color of the bike then I added Grape Soda Smooch to the purple and a Wink of Stella to the teal blue.  I colored the rest of the bike with copics as well, adding Black Smooch to the tires, handlebars, cranks, and saddle.  I die cut Little Numbers in Pool Party, added some Stickles to the numbers, then mounted them on the wheels with pop dots.  I die cut Fast Track in Black, then mounted everything on a layer of white with a Pool Party card base.  The sentiment is from the Pure Innocence Piggy Bank Set. 

Erin racing earlier, she's an inspiration for sure!

Thank you for stopping by!

Hap-Pie Birthday Ermalinda!!!

For my dear sweet friend and teammate Ermalinda for her birthday.  I haven't seen Ermalinda in a year in a half an just miss her terribly.  I look forward to the day I get to see her and give her a big 'ole (((HUG)))!!!

 I started of by stamping by Lulu's Two Pies from Stamping Bella in Memento Ink on Neenah card stock, then coloring her with Copics.  I added A Wink of Stella to her apron.  I layered my image on Mint Macaron and Tangerine Tango.  I used My Mind's Eye Stella and Rose Ribbon, Denami Design Ribbon, Baker's Twine and a Button.  Mounted my image panel on MME Stella and Rose paper then onto a Tangerine Tango card base.

I hope you have a great rest of your weekend!

Hey Gullfriend...

To one of the kindest, most beautiful people I know...Tracey.  She's been a ray of sunshine since I've met her.  She's one of those people that when you part company you always feel like you're in a much better mood after being in her presence.  This was for her birthday that was in May.

I took inspiration from 3 different cards I saw on pinterest.  Of course all these months later now that I sit to blog, I have no idea what the cards were, I just remember that there was 3 cards I liked and took from each of them and meshed them into what I created.  I always like to give credit where credit is due, so I apologize that I'm not able to.  I began by creating my sunrise (?) or is it a sunset (?), I was having this discussion with my best friend on the phone as I was creating the scene.  I used post it notes to mask off where the ocean would be and used a circle punch negative and positive for the sun.  I used Daffodil Delight, Pumpkin Pie, Pacific Point, and Night of Navy for the sky.  Next I used the Beach Scene Builder to create a mask for my ocean and sand.  I used Tempting Turquoise and Pacific Pointe for the Ocean.  Crumb Cake ink, and Sahara Sand and Wheat Versamagic chalk inks for the sand.  I used SU markers to create a pebbled look on the sand.  Then (for my very first time) I used Copic Opaque White ink, thinned it and splattered it over my panel with a paint brush.  I have to say I was SO nervous to do this.  I thought for sure I'd ruin all the work I put into my scene.  I followed up the Opaque White splatters with some water splatters (also for my first time) on the ocean.  I stamped the seagulls from the Seaside Seagulls in memento ink on neenah, coloring with copics and die cut them.  Then used the Cute Cloud Outlines die-namics in white, with stickles on it.  I stamped my sentiment on black carstock with versamark ink and embossed it with white embossing powder.  Layered my panel on white and crumb cake.   

 

Me and Tracey and The Wilcox Flyer 9/2019.

Thank you for taking a look at my blog!

Missing You...

For my dear sweet friend and awesome teammate, Ermalinda.  I miss her so very much.  We always have such a great time together...I wish I could see her and give her a big 'ole (((HUG))).

I was so excited to receive my My Favorite Things Wild About Rainbows Card Kit.  I've been on a rainbow kick lately.  They make me smile and brighten my day, I hope my friends like them...I see a lot of them in my upcoming creations!  Anyhow, I started out using the MFT Color Blast Die-namics.  I ran it through the Cuttlebug using MFT cardstock in Wild Cherry, Orange Zest, Lemon Drop, Limelight, Cornflower, and Boysenberry.  Next I used MFT Cute Cloud Outlines Die-namics in white, putting the solid one on pop dots.  I stamped the unicorn from the new MFT Friendly Unicorn set (I just love this set!), colored it with copics, used clear star gel pen on the horn and mane and used the coordinating die-namics to cut it out.  The sentiment is from the MFT I Miss Your Hugs stamp set.

Me and Ermalinda at paint night a year ago.  Miss her smiling face!

Thank you for stopping by!
Have a fabulous weekend!

 

Happy Birthday!!!

 Happy Birthday Brooke!!!  I hope you have an amazing day today!  Brooke is such an incredible athlete, mom, and friend.  She's always wanting to do, be apart of, lead, and take charge of things when things need to get done.  She has an amazing drive for her sport/sports and just did a Half Ironman last month.  What an awesome accomplishment!!!  I'm so happy to be teammates and friends with Brooke!!!

Splitcoaststampers holds a challenge every day to get your creative juices flowing.  I was the Featured Stamper FS716 on Splitcoaststampers the week of October 25th (completely took me by surprise!).  What you do for this challenge is look through the Featured Stampers Gallery and CASE (copy and share with everyone) a card, changing one or more things about the card.  You share the card in the FS's gallery and your card and what you changed.  I played along in the challenge too!!!  This is the card that I created for Brooke for her birthday.  I used Black, Gorgeous Grape and White card stock. My favorite Things High Rise Alphabet Lower Case and Happy Birthday.  My Favorite Things Sweater Weather in the Woods stamp set, stamped in Neenah, colored with copics.  SU sequins.

 This is the cards that I CASE'd.  I didn't realized it until my friend opened the card in front of me that I put the p's and y in the wrong position.  They're lower case letters, not upper case, lol.  It's bothered me ever since and I wanted to do the card justice!  I also changed the hot pink to purple, the image, and added sequins.

Me and Brooke last year, meeting each other on the loop to train for El Tour de Tucson.

Hope you have a wonderful day.  

Happy Birthday Kelly!!!

For my teammate and dear friend Kelly.  She has such a kind soul and I miss riding with her so much.  I can't wait until this COVID stuff is over so our team can resume our group rides.  

 Kelly loves sunflowers.  I found this card on Pinterest and wanted to create it for Kelly.  I used Crumb Cake for my base, Chocolate Chip, Daffodil Delight, and white card stock.  My Favorite Things Sunflowers die-namics, Cuttle Bug Folder and Denami Design ribbon.

Thank you for taking a peek at my blog!

Happy Birthday Pam!!!

I made this for my awesome teammate, Pam.  We did a team time trial earlier this year (before COVID hit).  The team met up at her house and caravan to our race.  When I walked in, I saw this photo and fell in love.  I told Pam I love pictures of doors.  She said she does too...so I had to take a picture and use the colors to make her birthday card.

I used the Terry Medaris stamp, he's a local artist.  I stamped my image on Neenah with memento ink, coloring with a bazillion copics.  I tried using colored pencils to get some shading and shadowing in but apparently I need lots of practice at it, lol.  I used More Mustard and Soft Suede card stock to frame my image like the picture.

I think Pam said she got the picture at Fry's.  I just love it!

Me and Pam...and her work/our sponsors.

Thank you for stopping by, hope you have a great weekend!

 
 

Bold, Beautiful, and Blingy...

Happy 90th Birthday Erin!!!  Haha, not really!  When you're around Erin, it's always laughs.  We went to Texas Roadhouse for her birthday one year and when they came to sing her Happy Birthday she told them she was 90!!!  The hostess kept saying, you look so good for your age, haha!  Erin is Bold, Beautiful, and Blingy...that's what I titled the card.  She's in her 70's, doing triathlons, racing bikes, running races, swimming...there's not anything she won't try.  She also loves all things green, purple, and blingy!

This is my first stamp from Colorado Craft Company.  It's called Sympathy & Friendship Rose.  Erin loves green, purple, and roses.  I knew I had to use my new stamp to make her birthday card.  I loved how blingy Debby's card is using this stamp.  I stepped out of my comfort zone and played a little to give it all the shimmer and bling that Erin loves.  I stamped my image on Neenah with Memento ink, coloring with copics.  I worked on this rose for a couple of days, coming back to it, adding coloring, shading, and just playing with it.  I also used copics and a colorless blender for the background.  I let it dry...then the fun began.  I blinged it out with liquid pearls, a pearl pen, baubles, rhinestones, sequins, copic opaque white pot (using a paper clip to make the dots) then finished it off with a few sprays of glimmer mist.  I may have gone a bit overboard, but it was so fun to make.

 Me and Erin when we first met in 2017.  We were doing a progressive 6 week climb up Mt. Lemmon.  I had just started cycling and was terrified to descend.  Erin on the other hand just loved to.  She waited for me (and went really slow I must add) so I could follow her down Mt. Lemmon.  I can never thank her enough for this day.  I slowly began to build confidence and now have a passion for descending.

Thank you for stopping by, I hope you have a great rest of your week!

Easy Peasy Lemmon Squeasy...

Every year the Tucson Tri Girls host "Easy Peasy Lemmon Squeasy".  It's a 6 week progressive climb up our beloved Mt. Lemmon.  Mt. Lemmon is ranked 33rd on the top 100 toughest road bike climbs.  It's a 25 mile climb with an elevation gain of 5,500 feet (depending on which "top" you go to).  This year we did Easy Peasy a bit differently since our mountain caught fire on June 5th from a lightening strike and burned 119, 978 acres over 48 days.  We held our annual EPLS virtually over Zwift.  It was a lot of fun being able to ride with our TTG and our sponsors, but our hearts ache for the devastation the fire has cause to our mountain.  I made Thank You cards for our ride leaders.  It wasn't easy trying to do this each week and I wanted them to know their time was appreciated.

And since there's a thing in my house called "Tanya Math"...I had to make one more card...ooops!!!

I used the current week's SC812 for my layout.  Perfect Plum for my base and Basic Gray Kioshi paper.  I had a custom made TTG stamp made with our emblem.  I stamped it in Gorgeous Grape on Neenah card stock.  Sentiment from SU Morning Meadow set.  

Pictures below are from the fire.  They are not mine, just ones I grabbed from Google.

You can see the fire retardant from many miles away on the mountain.  

The planes were dropping it and water non stop.

I don't know how something so devastating can also be so beautiful.

Amazingly no structures, homes, or lives were lost in the fire.

It's just heartbreaking to see the damage the fire caused.

The firefighters worked in triple digit temps day in and day out.

During the 25 mile drive (or in our case, bicycle ride), you'll got through four distinct habitats, from Tucson's desert up through grasslands, woodlands and finally to the forests at the top.  You'll climb a total of 5,500 feet.  In terms of ecosystems and climate...starting at Mile Post 0, it's like driving from Mexico to Canada in one hour.

Happy Birthday Linden...

I made this for my sweet dear friend, teammate, and co-ride leader, Linden.  She is always so positive, encouraging, and always, always has a smile on her face.  She is always willing to swap Rile Leader cycling duties for our GABA group rides...she loves to climb and I love to descend.  Right now we only get to "see" each other on Zwift...I sure to miss her smiling face!!!  

I saw this beautiful card on pinterest and thought I'd like to try and recreate it.  I didn't do it justice.  I tried the watercolor paper technique, it was a bit of a learning experience for me.  I used SU Beautiful Friendship.  I took watercolor paper, spritzed it with water.  When the water was almost dry, I stamped the hydrangeas in Strawberry Slush.  When it was dry, I stamped it again.  Then stamped the leaves in Granny Apple Green.  Strawberry Slush and black card stock, finished it off with a sentiment and some sequins.

  

Linden, me, and our other co-ride leader, Carolyn.

Thank you so much for stopping by. 

Have a wonderful week!

Sugar Sweet Ermalinda...

My sweet dear Ermalinda is such an amazing friend and teammate.  I'm so lucky to have her in my life and call her my friend.  When we get together all we do is laugh and have a great time.  I can't wait until I get to see her again!   

 Ermalinda loves Sugar Skulls.  It's one stamp I don't own so I had to print a coloring page to create her card.  I colored the image with copics.  Flirty Flamingo and black card stock.  Embellished with rhinestones.  Kept it sweet and simple.

 

Me and Ermalinda, Biosphere 2 Team Ride,  12/15/2019.

Have a wonderful day!

Happy 57th Carolyn!!!

 My sweet dear friend Carolyn  celebrated her birthday in March.  I made her this card to celebrate her special day.  She wanted to cycle 57 miles with 57 feet of elevation gain on her 57th birthday.  I wasn't able to attend the special occasion since we were getting ready to go out of town for our first cruise.  We were the last Carnival Cruise to set sail.  When we docked we found out we had to be self quarantined for 14 days and have been in self isolation ever since.  Unfortunately during that time I lost my creative juices...this is the first time in 3 months that I've sat down to blog or create anything.  I'm not cycling outdoors, but I am cycling indoors virtually with my friends via Zwift.  I'm able to ride with Carolyn several times a week and that has really been a life savor for me.  Carolyn and I have had great fun chasing route badges, encouraging one another and continuing with our weekly women's ride with our other ride leader, Linden.   

My hubs bought me this die cut, as I had this vision for Carolyn's card, knowing she'd be climbing up Mt. Lemmon to reach her elevation goal.  I made several layers of it, the last one I put black smooch on top and added a glaze pen to make it shiny.  I used the brayer technique, masking a sun then used Daffodil Delight, Pumpkin Pie, Cajun Craze, and Real Red for the sky.  I tore a sheet of paper to create and sponge in the mountains.  

Me and Carolyn in Nogales, AZ at The Nogales Classic.  

Thank you for stopping by.

TTG Monthly Group Ride...

I'm a Ride Leader for the Tucson Tri Girls.  Every month we have a raffle at our ride.  I thought it would be nice to make a little card to accompany the raffle prize to thank the winner for coming out to ride with us.  This month's winner was Brooke.

 I went to my retired stash of SU papers to go through some of my purple's (that's the TTG's color) and decided upon Eggplant Envy, Lavender Lace (did you know it's the EXACT same color as Highland Heather?!?!) and Gorgeous Grape.  I used Eggplant Envy as my base.  Ran MFT Rainbow Die-namics through the Cuttlebug three times, one time in each of the purples.  Then alternated the purples to make the rainbow.  I used MFT Flat Clouds Die-namics, ran it through the pin dot CB Folder then used Stickles on it for some glittery, sparkly clouds and used pop dots for dimension.  MFT High Rise Alphabet Lowercase Die-namics in Gorgeous Grape.  Finished it off with stamping a little bicycle from Hero Arts Stamp Set under the rainbow. 

Our A Group Ride.  We had a gorgeous ride up and over Gates Pass, around Saguaro National Park West, up and over Picture Rocks and back to our starting point.  We rode almost 38 miles with a total of just over 2,000 feet of climbing.

Thank you so much for stopping by!

Calories Don't Count...

For my awesome teammate and friend, Jessica.  She is always smiling, encouraging you, and willing to come back and ride with you if you're having an off day.  

I played along in the CAS572, which was to use chocolate in your card.  What better way to use it than a chocolate cake for a birthday card?!?!  I started out using the Star Grid Stencil from My Favorite Things, sponging VersaMagic Chalk Ink in Wheat.  I then stamped the cake from the MFT set, Birthday's Take the Cake in Memento Ink on Neenah card stock, coloring it with copics.  I cut it out with the coordinating die-namics.  I used Stickles on the flames and frosting, and Smooch on the candles.  The Happy Birthday Circle Frame Die-namic is also from MFT, I used Pink Passion card stock for it.  Sentiment from MFT Birthday's Take the Cake stamp set.  Embellished with buttons and rhinestones.

Thank you so much for looking!

I'm so Thankful for You!!!

A thank you card for one of the most kind, caring, and thoughtful people I know...my wonderful friend, (and teammate) Ermalinda.  She got me a gift card for my favorite stamp company, My Favorite Things!  For no reason at all, just because.  Who does that?!?!?!  This sweet friend of mine does!!!  I made her a card using one of the stamp sets I purchased with the gift card she gave me.

 I used CC777 for my color scheme...I ran out of Very Vanilla so I used Crumb Cake instead.  I also didn't have Rococo Rose so I used Regal Rose.  I stamped my Zebra image from the My Favorite Things Sweater Weather in Safari set in Memento Ink on Neenah card stock then used the coordinating die-namic to cut it out.  I stamped Knitted Sweater from My Favorite things in Regal Rose on Regal Rose card stock, layering it on Crumb Cake, then on Cherry Cobbler.  Die-Namic was a free $60 with purchase from MFT.  I sponged the edges of the circle with Cherry Cobbler ink.  Sentiment is from Sweater Weather in Safari as well.  Embellished with Stamping Bella Baubles. 

 CC777

 The goodies I got with the gift card from Ermalinda.

Me and Ermalinda climbing Mt, Lemmon.

Ranked as one of the top 30 hardest mountains in the world to cycle up.

Thank you for taking a peek.